총 36페이지

17
NewsDesk
of mobility is guaranteed, physically challenged people are
http://www.gyotongn.com
deprived of the chance to participate in everything from
personaltosociallife.
Publictransportationmakesthemhandicapped
Bang Sang-yeon, a student at Nodl Popular School for
Persons with Disabilities, explains that there are many
difficulties in public transportation for the physically
challenged.Hesaidthatsometimesthesedifficultieslooklike
dead ends. Physical impairments and a speech impediment
forcehimtoenduremanyinconveniencesintryingtoaccess
publictransportation.
▲Maninawheelchairgetsonaspecialtaxi
First, he pointed out that the low floor of certain busses
is helpful for him. The low floor bus is designed for people
Instead of using the low floor busses, physically challenged
who have difficulty boarding the bus, such as the physically
people can call a taxi that has been specially outfitted for
challenged, children, the elderly, and others. It has no steps
them,butthereisaproblemwiththis.Thewaitforthetaxiis
betweentheentranceatstreet-levelandthefloor.Thuspeople
oftentoolong.“Oneevening,Iwenttothetheaterandhada
in wheelchair can get on the bus easily. Practically, though,
good dinner. Before dinner ended, I called the taxi at 7 a.m.
there are very few busses with this feature, and they run on
and made a reservation for 9 a.m. The taxi, however, did not
toofewroutes.
comeuntilalmost3a.m.,anditisoftenlikethat,”Bangsaid.
Taking these passengers where they want to go is a major
“BussesandtaxisinSeoulhaveseriousproblemsconcerning
task for public transportation. But until now, significantly
peoplesuchasme.SoIusuallytakethesubway.”
lessthanhalfthebusrouteshavethesebussesanditmakesit
With the subway, the situation is a little better, but there
difficult for people who would benefit from using the busses
are also problems. People in wheelchairs have to spend a lot
withlowfloors.Notonlythat,butthereisalsoaneducational
of time when they get on the subway. A lot of their trouble
problem about the operation and use of these busses. From
results from the stairs because the stairs are an impossible
thestandpointofamaninawheelchair,manybusdriversare
barrierforthem.Majorstationsusuallyhaveelevatorsforthe
notcooperative.Somebusdriversignorethemandpassthem
elderly and the handicapped, but many small stations do not
byintentionally.Manyofthedriversgothroughtrainingthat
provide elevator service. Instead of the elevator, physically
teaches them how to operate the platform that lifts a person
handicappedpeoplemustusethewheelchairlift,whichtakes
uptothebus,butBangwondersifthatisenough.“Iwonder
alongtime.
if the training program about low floor bus service for the
Becauseoftheseproblems,physicallychallengedpeopleare
driversiseffective,”Bangsaid.
forcedtocurtailtheirsocialactivities.Italsomakesitdifficult
Even though people like Bang could get on the bus, there
for them to get to their jobs because they have to spend so
isstillanotherproblem.Hesaidthateverytimehegetsona
muchtimecommutingandtheycannothelpbutbetardyalot
low floor bus he feels like he is annoying others on the bus
of times. This matter conflicts with the mandatory quota on
because passengers in wheelchairs need more time to get on
handicappedpersons.Thegovernmenthasmandatedthatfor
and off the bus than others. In order to get on the low floor
allthecompaniesthatemploy50ormoreregularworkers,at
bus,theymustwaituntiltheplatformisloweredforthem.But
least5percentoftheiremployeesmustbehandicapped.“Even
all too often, the other passengers do not consider this. Most
thoughgovernmenthasthisregulation,wecannotbeeffective
peopleinsistthatpublictransportationshouldtakepassengers
employees unless public transportation is improved,” added
totheirdestinationquickly,sotheydonotlikewaitingalong
Bang.
time at a station for a handicapped person. “Whenever a bus
driver fastens my seatbelt to hold me at the seat reserved for
the physically challenged, I feel sorry for other passengers,”
Takeacloserlook:whatinconveniencesthem?
Bangsaid.
SEPTEMBER 2012

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